Honshu

Contents

Honshu features one large land mass in the center of the map with multiple smaller islands on either side of the central mass, on this map players begin with a dock rickshaw and three fishing boats which, combined with the relatively rich coastal waters can provide a viable map for a water boom. This map also features water treasures that can be collected without fighting any Treasure Guardians.

Minor civilizations include a Zen Temple and a Jesuit Mission which provide among upgrades, Sohei and Dragoons which can provide support against Cavalry and can both be located towards the middle of the central mass, the two smaller islands are an essential asset due to their many gold mines and treasures. A smaller mass of land can be found on either side of the central island and it houses a trade route as well as the rarest huntable animal in the game, the Giant Salamander.

"Players begin on either end of a long narrow island. Mines can be found on the smaller islands nearby. A larger landmass opposite the other coast features a tiny but pivotal Trade Route. The limited supply of Food on the main island will drive players to fish the rich coastal waters."

"Often referred to as the Japanese mainland or central Japan, Honshu is the largest of the four Japanese islands. It is 800 miles long and 150 miles wide. Honshu is a mountainous, volcanic region, with Mount Fuji, its highest point, soaring to an impressive peak of 12,389 feet. The mainland is separated from the island of Hokkaido by the Tsugaru Strait, from Kyushu by the Shimonoseki Strait, and from Shikoku by the Inland Sea. The climate of Honshu ranges geographically from snowy winters in the north to warm, subtropical temperatures in the south. While the products of agriculture are rich and varied - rice, cotton, fruits, and vegetables Honshu is the source of two of Japan’s most famous resources: silk and tea. Its remote, heavily forested areas are teeming with monkeys, deer, boars, antelope, salamanders, snakes, and birds.

In 1543, Portuguese sailors were the first Europeans to make contact with Japan, opening a limited trade relationship between the East and West. In 1549, St. Francis Xavier introduced Christianity to the island. After the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the acting warrior dictator of Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu claimed the title of shogun. His family would go on to rule Japan for 250 years. Domestic stability reigned during this period, but social progress was curtailed by a powerful central autocracy. Christianity was suppressed and commerce with foreign countries was prohibited. Only the Dutch retained the right to communicate with the Japanese from their single trading post on the island of Nagasaki."